Letter Goes Viral
At least 120 House Democrats have signed a letter first circulated Tuesday morning demanding President-elect Donald Trump rescind the appointment of Steve Bannon, the publisher of the alt-right website Breitbart, as his Chief White House Strategist and Senior Counselor.
“Unfortunately, your appointment of Stephen Bannon, whose ties to the White Nationalist movement have been well-documented, directly undermines your ability to unite the country,” the letter, drafted by U.S. Congressman David Cicilline, Democrat of Rhode Island, reads. “As elected representatives of millions of Americans from diverse backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities, we strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to appoint Mr. Bannon to White House Chief Strategist.”
The letter, which likely will receive more signatures, notes there have been “a number of incidents across the country” since Trump was elected last week, “in which minorities, including Muslim Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Jewish Americans, have been the targets of violence, harassment and intimidation.”
“Mr. Bannon’s appointment sends the wrong message to people who have engaged in those types of activities, indicating that they will not only be tolerated, but endorsed by your Administration. Millions of Americans have expressed fear and concern about how they will be treated by the Trump Administration and your appointment of Mr. Bannon only exacerbates and validates their concerns.”
Rep. Cicilline’s Facebook page post is embedded below, with the full text of the letter:
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Hat tip: Joe.My.God.